Mop handle connection and method for making the same



J. W. BARTON MOP HANDLE CONNECTION AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME Filed June 13, 1931 MEL 7 57.5 $39,672 285 52770720 July 11, 1933.

Patented July 11, 1933 UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE" A JOSEBH W. BARTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO' O-CEDAR CORPN., OF

cnronco, ILLINOIS, A eonronn'rron'on ILLINOIS MOP HANDLE CONNECTION AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME- Application filed iunc 13,

This invention has to do with mops and the like, and relates particularly to means by which the m'op head may be detachably connected to a handle. H y I In the past, it has been common to provide detachable handle connections for mops, characterized by a handle socket pivotally or otherwise attached to the mop head, and formed of sheet metal or other material. The

a thread, the handle itself being practically universally made ofgwood. It has been deemed suliicientin the past to provide the socket member with projections extending inwardly of the socket member and-arranged in a relation cor-respondingiwith the pitch of the thread on the handle'end, to thereby afford a threaded socket for thehandle end. This construction has been found'to have a serious defect for the reason that when the threaded handle end is first inserted into the socket, in a majority of instances the socket member projections are not properly positioned with respect to the handle end thread, and users ofthemop, in'their impatience, often times force the threaded enact the handle directly into the socket, therebyjforceably embedding the projections. into the lating said threaded portion, 7 I

It isaccordingly one of the principal obj ects of this inventionto provide a mop handle socket member of sheet metal or the like by which proper attachment of the threaded enclof the wooden or the like handle will be sofacilitated' as to eliminate loss of time, in making the connection and alsoavoid mutilation of both the socket member and the threaded endofthehandle. p

sockets, especially of the sheet metal orthe like type, resides in the fact that the repeated operations ofinserting the handle end into the socket. member resulted in the gradual V member'rnade in accordancewith the present 1 separation of the longitudinal meeting edges of the socket member, with a resultant marked decrease in efiiciency of the connection.

It is accordingly a furtherobjectof the invention to preventseparation of the longi- 9 tudinal meeting edges of the sheetmetal or lower end of the handle has been formed with threaded portion of the handle and also muti Another defect in previousv mop handle 1931; Serial No. 544,091.

like socket member, thereby maintaining maximum elliciency of the connection at all times. 1 o i h c It is another object of the present invention to employ an improved method offorming a continuous thread inaa sheet metal or like socket. I

A further object resides in thejprovisio'n of a sheet metal or like socket member involving an improved method of construction, comprising a minimum of parts, and having such durable characteristics that, for all p rac ticalpurposes, it will never get out of order mservic a In carrying out the invention-,1 blank out 5 apiece of sheet'metal in the general form of a T, the end-ofthe shankofcwhich I provide with a pair of openings. The head of the T is then providedwith one or more grooves or corrugations, which maybe stamped, rolled or otherwise formed preferably while the blank-is ina flat position,,and preferably inclined to the ends of the head. The head is then formed substantially. cylindrical, the groovesv or-corrugations constituting a continuous thread having substantially the pitch ofthe thread of the handle end to be inserted thereimandlthe shank is folded upon i't-r self to bring the openings into registration, 7 so that the end of the shank may provide 1 withthe mop head a pivotal connection. A thimble is appliedto the free endrof the cylindrical headeofrthe socket member by a pressed fit'and-thereby retains the cylindrical portion permanently inthe proper shape.

Further objects-and advantages of the invention will apparentas the description proceeds. j c

Onthedrawingz, y

F'gure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the head ofthe handle connection con structedin accordance withthe present invention; v a i,

Figure 2'is an enlarged view of a socket invention in an intermediate stage of con struction.r 0 1, a c b Figure 3 is a view of the same ina some-- what advanced stage of construction. s

;; Figure 4 is a view similar'to Figure Slant 9 showing the completed socket member, and a portion of a handle end projecting therefrom. Figure 5 is an enlarged end elevational view of my improved socket construction.

Figure 6 is afragmentary sectional view taken approximately in theplane indicated bv the line VI-VI of Figure 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, wherein the same parts are indicated in every instance by the same reference character, the mop head 1 is provided with pivot ears2 between-whichjthe extension 3 of a socket member 4 is pivotally connected, the opposite end portion of the socket memher 4 being provided with a thread 5 for threadedly receiving a correspondingly formed end of a 'wooden or like handle 6.

A thimble or sleeve 7 surrounds the thread ed end of the socket l and is tightly connected to thelatter; The socket member '4 is preferably made of sheet metal, and while the thread 5 thereof, as well as the" pivot extension 3, could be made in various ways, I have devised a method of so doing which is very expeditious and efficient. v To thisend, I blank out a piece of'sheet metal or thelike into the form of a T as shown in Figure 2, having a head 8 and a shank 9. Thefreeend 10 ofthe shank 9 hasits contour in the form of a curved W, the portions 11 beingformed with openings 12. After the blank is formed, one or more grooves or corrugations 13 are formed, by stamping, rolling, or thelike, at

. least one such groove or corrugation extending along a ma or'portion or the fulllength' offlic head 8 from one edge 14; to the other edge 15. Each groove or corrugation 13 has a pitch corresponding with that of the threaded end of the handle 6. in i After the grooves or corrugations '13 a1'e formed, the blankiis' subjected to a shaping operation, by which it is bent along the axis of symmetry of the T, the shank 9 taking-the form of aV and the head 8 .that of a U, as seen'in Figure 3. 'The bending isnow continued until the edges 'li 'andf 15 subst ane tially meet as shown in Figures Land fij the socket portion or T-head 8 being in the form of a cylinder, and the shank 9 being folded flat upon itself to form the extension-3Com prising'a double thickness ofthemetali It will be seen that where a'plurality of grooves or corrugations 3 are provided, as. in the present instance, they are so spacedthat when the cylindrical socket portion is formed-,-jeach groove formsacontinuation of theadj'acent groovel- Thus a 1 continuous groove or thread is formed. The sleeve or ferrule 7 is therenpon secured, on the free end '16; by a pressed fit, thereby permanently. maintaining the cylindrical socket member in properls'hape. It will be noted that when the two portions of the shank 9 are folded'fi'at upon each other as shown in Figure 4, the pivot openings 12 will be in register, andthe pivot extension 3 It will thus herein-described in detail is preferred as being simpler.

be seen that the threaded connection involves a substantial improvement over those heretoforein use, not only from the standpoint of efficiency in use but also from the standpoint of the method of making. The pivot connection, it will be noted, is so constructed that the thrust will be exerted transversely of thepivot pin, which of course willbe'made suiiiciently strong ,to stand up in service, and in a direction parallel to the plane of the pivot extension 3 andthe ears 2, so that said extension and ears will not give way under stressof'use of the mop, even after a long period of such us'e;

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction maybe varied through a wide range without departing from-theprinciples of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting thepatent granted hereon otherwise than is necessitated by the prior art.

f I claim as my invention:

1. As an: article of manufacture, a coupling for connecting 'amophandle to a. mop head, said coupling being formed of a single longitudinally split socket having a continuous thread of anextent greater than one-half of the circumference of the socket, and an endless collarfor preventing separation of the edges adjacent the split,L said collar including'an annular reinforcing flange disposed over one end of the coupling 2. As .an"'article of manufacture, acoupling for connecting a mop handle'to a mop head, said coupling being-formed of a'single longitudinally split socket having a continuous thread of an extent greater than one-half of thecircumferenc'e of the socket, and means for preventing separation of the edges adj acentzthesplit, said means surrounding said socket, andincluding an inwardly radially extending reinforcing flange disposed over one end of the coupling. 1

3. 'As an" article. offmanufacture, a coupling for connectinga mop handle to a mop head, said coupling being formed of a single longitudinally; split socket having a continuousjthread of an extent greater than one-half of the circumference of the socket, and means for preventing separation of the edges adjacent thesplit, said means surrounding said socket, and overlying the edge of the coupling at one end thereof to protect the same.

4. The netho d of forming a coupling for connectinga-handle to'a mop or the like, whichcomprises the steps of forming a blank in the shape of a T, forming spaced openings in the outer end of the shank of the T, equally spaced from the central axis of the shank, forming agroove in the head ofthe T in a direction inclined to said axis, and bending the blank about said axis so that'the head is given a substantially cylindrical shape and the sides of the shank are folded upon each other with said openings in register With each other. r

5. The method of forming a coupling for connecting a handle to a mop or the like, which comprises the steps of forming a blank in the shape of a T, forming spaced openings in the outer end of the shank of the T, equally spaced from the center axis of the shank, forming a groove in the head of the T in a direction inclined to said axis, and bending the blank about said axis so that the head is given a substantially cylindrical shape,

and the sides of the shank are folded upon i Illinois.

JOSEPH W. BARTON. 

